Gracie
by FemaleChauvinist
Summary: Mrs Morrison is hesitant about letting her sickly daughter Gracie go hiking in the woods, even with a doctor along. But is it Gracie who will be needing Dr Cullen's aid? A story with three endings.
1. Ending 1

**Disclaimer:** While the attempt has been made to be medically accurate, some artistic license has been taken, and statements made by Carlisle and other medical personnel are not to be regarded as authoritative.

Recognizable characters and plotlines are the property of Stephenie Meyer; all original characters and story © 2017 FemaleChauvinist.

 _Do not post without permission. Do not copy/print without including the above disclaimer in its entirety._

 **A/N: All right…this isn't a pick-your-own-adventure story, per se (though I really don't know why they're not allowed on Fanfiction). I couldn't decide which ending I liked, so I decided to write all three, and then choose. But I still can't decide, so I'm just going to post them all! Obviously, the "go to" instructions will be accurate only after all endings are up.**

 **As usual, the date of this story is correct for my alternate history, as described in my profile. Barbie**

 _October 2008_

 _Nessie three A/E ten, claiming eleven, sixth grade_

 **Evelyn Morrison**

I hugged my daughter Gracie when she got home from school. "Did you have a good day at school?"

She nodded and sat down at the table, picking up a cookie and nibbling at the edges. "Uh-huh. The teacher gave us an assignment to draw three different plants and label the parts, and Nessie Cullen invited me to walk through the woods by her house Saturday to look for them." She spoke quickly, without looking at me, and I frowned.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Gracie. What if you started feeling sick again?" She had been in and out of the hospital all last year, and even after what seemed like hundreds of tests, the doctors still didn't have any idea what was wrong. She had missed so much school that she was repeating the sixth grade, but even though she was a year older than most of her classmates, she was small for her age and looked younger.

"I know," she admitted. "I told Nessie that you probably wouldn't let me, but she said her father could come with us; he's a doctor." She still wasn't looking at me, which told me just how much she wanted to be able to do something with one of her friends.

I sighed. "I won't promise anything, Gracie, but if you have her number I suppose I could call and talk to her father about it. You realize she may have offered without finding out if it was all right with him; he might not be able to go."

Gracie jumped up and threw her arms around my waist. "Oh, thank you, Mama!"

I sighed again. I hated letting her out of my sight, even for school, but I supposed with a doctor along she _would_ be all right. I gave her a final squeeze. "Go on up and do your homework."

"'Kay." She grabbed another cookie and disappeared up the stairs.

I dialed the number from the scrap of paper Gracie had handed me, and after two rings a woman's voice answered. "Hello, this is Esme Cullen."

"Yes…hello, Mrs Cullen. I'm Mrs Morrison, the mother of your daughter Nessie's friend Gracie."

"Oh, yes; Nessie said she'd invited Gracie on a walk in the woods Saturday."

"Gracie said your husband would be willing to go with them? You see, Gracie's been ill, and I really don't like the idea of her going off on her own."

"Of course not," Mrs Cullen murmured sympathetically. "Tell you what; Carlisle's due home in about five minutes. Why don't you give me your number, and I'll have him call you back? I'm sure you would feel more comfortable if you discussed this with him."

"Yes; thank you."

Ten minutes later the phone rang, and I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs Morrison; this is Dr Carlisle Cullen."

I smiled. "Dr Cullen. Did your wife explain why I called?"

He chuckled. "Actually, Nessie accosted me as soon as I walked in the door. Let me assure you…I would love to go with them on Saturday."

"Thanks…Mrs Cullen explained why I don't want Gracie going alone?"

"Yes. What was wrong with her, if you don't mind my asking?"

"We don't know. She was in and out of the hospital all winter, but the doctors never found anything." I sighed. "She's seemed better this summer…she was sick a few times for a couple days, but not bad enough to take her to the hospital. For all I know it was just an unrelated bug. But still…it always comes on her so fast. One hour she's fine, and the next…" I heard my voice breaking, and wondered if I was really going to be able to let Gracie out of my sight on Saturday.

"I'll keep an eye on her," he promised. "You know, Mrs Morrison, you're perfectly welcome to come with us."

"Oh…I hadn't thought of that. I think I'd like to."

"All right. Don't bother bringing lunch; I'm sure Esme will pack more than enough. Let me give you directions to the house."

 **oOo**

We arrived at the Cullen house a little after ten Saturday morning. "It's a _mansion_ ," Gracie breathed in awe.

I felt a bit intimidated myself as we walked up the wide front steps and I rang the doorbell.

The door was opened almost instantly by a girl even tinier than Gracie. She had long reddish curls down her back, and an almost elfin daintiness. "Gracie!" she exclaimed.

Gracie smiled. "Mama, this is Nessie Cullen. Nessie, my mother, Mrs Morrison."

"Hello, Mrs Morrison," Nessie greeted me. She spun around, her hair swirling around her as she turned. "Come on in. Papa!" she called. "They're here!"

I heard a chuckle from somewhere upstairs. "I'm not deaf, Nessie."

A moment later he came down the stairs, dressed in dark blue jeans, a red plaid flannel shirt, and a brown leather jacket…nice clothes, but not what I expected a doctor to wear. And then I told myself to stop being silly; of course he wasn't going to wear dress clothes for a walk in the woods.

He was carrying a backpack by the handles, and set it down at the base of the stairs before coming toward me with a smile. "Dr Carlisle Cullen," he introduced himself.

I smiled. "Evelyn Morrison, and this is my daughter Gracie."

He nodded, and as he turned to look at Gracie I saw something in his eye as if he were giving her a medical checkup. "How are you this morning, Gracie?" Did he mean that as a friendly question, or a professional one?

Gracie smiled shyly. "Fine, thank you."

The doctor turned back to me. "Have you met my wife yet?"

I shook my head, and he led us into the kitchen. A woman stood at the counter, making sandwiches on foot-long rolls and wrapping them in foil. Dr Cullen walked up and slipped an arm around her waist. "Esme, love, this is Evelyn and Gracie Morrison. Mrs Morrison, Gracie, my wife, Esme."

The woman turned with a smile. "It's so nice to meet you, Mrs Morrison. Gracie, Nessie has been talking about this all week."

Neither she nor the doctor really looked old enough to be Nessie's parents; I wondered if the girl was adopted. Especially considering that she didn't really look like either of them.

Nessie leaned her elbows on the counter, watching as Esme Cullen packed the sandwiches neatly in a backpack.

"Hey, anybody home?"

"Jake!" Nessie exclaimed, running to meet the tallest boy I had ever seen. She swung on his hand as she pulled him into the kitchen.

Dr Cullen smiled. "And this is a family friend, Jacob Black. Jake, Mrs Morrison and her daughter Gracie."

Jacob nodded at us and then turned to Esme. "Got that about ready?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure about letting _you_ carry it."

"Aw, come on, Esme. It would be easier for me to snitch if someone _else_ was carrying it."

She laughed. "Well, I suppose that's true. Have fun."

"Sure you won't come with us, love?"

She smiled. "I'm sure."

"All right…goodbye, then, love." The doctor kissed his wife goodbye, then paused to pick up his backpack and pull the straps over his shoulders on the way out. "Let's get going."

We crossed the wide green lawn, but as we neared the thick woods, Gracie hesitated.

"Gracie?" Nessie questioned.

Gracie shrank against my side. "Some of the kids say there are wolves in these woods," she whispered.

Jacob gave a sort of chuckling snort, and the doctor shook his head. "No wolves, Gracie. We let Nessie come in here all the time."

"Howl, Jacob!" Nessie demanded.

Jacob laughed and gave a half-hearted "Ah-woo!"

" _That's_ not a howl!" Nessie protested, laughing. "Please, Jake?"

Jacob rolled his eyes, then tipped his head back and howled so convincingly that chills went up my back; I nearly looked behind him to see if there was a wolf there. Gracie stood frozen, her eyes huge.

"Thanks a lot, Jake," the doctor said dryly. "I hadn't planned on treating _both_ of them for heart failure." He dropped to one knee in front of Gracie, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, honey. That was just Jacob; there are no wolves in these woods."

"Are you…sure?"

"Positive. And if there were, they wouldn't bother us anyway…I promise."

"You'd…protect me?"

"With my life," he said seriously; he sounded as if he actually meant it literally. "Jake, too. You all right now?"

She nodded, giving him a small smile.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Jacob apologized. "I didn't know it was gonna scare you."

"It's my fault," Nessie said repentantly. "I thought you'd realize that the kids who say there are wolves in here probably just heard Jacob howling."

"It's all right," Dr Cullen assured both of them, getting to his feet. "No harm done."

There was no discernable path through the woods, but Jacob and Dr Cullen led the way with a sure confidence. They held branches out of the way for us, and when we came to a fallen log, Jacob would step over it easily and then turn to lift the girls over while Dr Cullen gave me a hand to climb over it.

Every so often, the girls would stop to sketch a plant in their notebooks. "I'm doing more than three," Nessie said. "Then I'll pick the best ones to hand in."

Gracie nodded. "Me, too."

When we came to a narrow stream, Jacob stepped to a small stone in the middle. He held out his hands, and Nessie took a running leap, caught his hands, and landed on the other bank.

I was about to protest that Gracie couldn't cross that way when Jacob leaned forward until he could reach her. She shyly put her hands in his.

"One, two, three, jump!" And he swung her across to the other side.

The doctor was watching with a bemused expression. "You know, Jake, there _is_ a log bridge not too far downstream."

"Aw, that's no fun," Jacob protested, stepping to the far bank.

The doctor chuckled. "Well, I'm taking her down," he said with a nod in my direction. "Keep an eye on them."

"Sure, sure. Hey, Ness! Don't get too far ahead!" As the branches closed behind him, I realized I was alone in the forest with the doctor.

"We shouldn't leave Gracie alone; you said you'd keep an eye on her," I babbled, hardly knowing what I was saying.

He looked at me, one eyebrow raised. "Two minutes," he said, amusement in his voice, "at most."

I blushed; of course, I was being silly…and it wasn't really Gracie I was thinking about.

I followed him about ten yards downstream to where a tree had fallen across the stream. Dr Cullen stepped easily to the middle of it, then turned and offered his hand, the gold wedding band on his ring finger gleaming dully in the cloud-filtered light. As I accepted his aid, I couldn't help wondering if he had offered his left hand on purpose, reminding me that he _was_ happily married; I had nothing to fear in being alone with him.

When we caught up to the others, Gracie and Nessie were squatting beside a little flowering plant. "Look, Papa!" Nessie exclaimed, showing him her sketchbook. "Isn't it pretty?"

"It is," he agreed. "You know, back in the 1800s they used the roots of this plant for treating fevers."

"Did it work?" Nessie asked curiously.

"Mmm. It seemed to, sometimes, but I tend to think it was the placebo effect myself."

Gracie frowned. "What's the pla - place-bow effect?"

Dr Cullen smiled and sat on a nearby rock. "Placebo," he corrected. "That's when a medicine doesn't actually help, but the person feels better just because they think they're taking something useful. Sometimes it's actually strong enough to make them better."

Gracie sighed. "I wish there was a placebo for me, then," she said soberly.

He smiled sympathetically. "It doesn't always work like that, Gracie," he said gently. "If it did, we doctors would be out of business — not to mention the pharmaceutical companies."

"Nah," Jacob scoffed; "they'd just charge a fortune for placebos."

Dr Cullen chuckled. "Well, you're probably right there, Jake. And I guess there'd be plenty of quack doctors prescribing them." He stood and offered a hand to Gracie. "You're not feeling sick now, are you?" he questioned, looking at her intently for a moment.

"No," she assured him quickly.

"Well, I'm hungry," Jacob put in. "Anybody else ready for lunch?"

Dr Cullen looked at me, and I nodded. "I'm getting hungry," I realized.

"There's a spot just up ahead that's good for a picnic; come on."

In about ten minutes, we reached the open area he had spoken of. Jacob spread out a picnic blanket from his backpack, and we all sat down as Jacob passed out the sandwiches and poured paper cups of lemonade from a thermos.

Nessie slowly peeled back the foil from her sandwich. "Do I have to eat, Papa?"

He smiled at her, pulling her into his lap as he sat crosslegged. "Not hungry?"

She wrinkled her nose and reached back to put her hand on his face.

"Here, share with me."

She half turned, looking at him incredulously before handing him half of her sandwich. His eyes fixed on her face, he deliberately bit into it before handing it back. With a sigh, Nessie took a small bite.

I couldn't understand her reluctance; I thought the sandwiches were delicious. But she hadn't made much headway before Jacob finished his — and the doctor's, too, by all appearances. "Want the rest of that, Ness?"

Nessie shook her head and quickly handed it over.

"This is delicious, but I can't eat another bite," I said finally after finishing only half of the huge sandwich.

"Hey, I'll take it. You done, too, Gracie?"

She nodded; she had managed about a quarter of hers.

Jacob confiscated the one and a quarter sandwiches, wolfing them down as if he _hadn't_ already eaten nearly three. Then he turned to the backpack and pulled out a bag of cookies. "Anybody else want any?"

Dr Cullen chuckled. "Take as many as you think you'll want to start with," he advised. "If you wait until later, chances are there won't be any left."

Gracie took three; chocolate, her favorite flavor, and I took two. Nessie nibbled half-heartedly at the edges of the one she had taken, until Jacob grabbed it from her hand and finished it off in one bite. "Well, that oughta hold me for a couple hours," he commented, tossing our trash into the backpack.

Gracie gaped at him, and he laughed. "Hey, I'm a growing boy."

Dr Cullen chuckled. "Any taller, and you'll have to duck under doorframes." He lifted Nessie from his lap and got to his feet. "Since there's no food left for Jacob to eat, let's get going."

 **oO** _Continue reading for Ending 1, or go to Ending 2a_ **Oo**

I bit my lip as we followed Dr Cullen through the woods. Half an hour since we had stopped for lunch, Gracie was starting to lag. The doctor had seemed so attentive to her needs; surely he didn't imagine she could walk all day.

I hurried ahead a few steps to catch up with him. "Dr Cullen," I said in a low voice, "shouldn't we be heading back soon?"

He smiled. "We've actually been heading back since lunch; we're not going quite the same way we came." He stopped and half turned, waiting for the girls to catch up. "Getting tired, Gracie?"

"A little," she admitted.

"Here." Putting his hands under her arms, he lifted her over his head and set her on his shoulders. "Better?"

She giggled. "Yes."

I blinked in surprise; she might be small for her age, but she was still twelve years old. "Isn't she too heavy for you?"

"No," he assured me with a quick shake of his head. "Lean on my head if you want, Gracie; I don't mind."

"I want to ride, too!" Nessie demanded.

Jacob grinned and held out his hands. With a running start, Nessie placed her palms in his and vaulted over his head to land sitting on his shoulders. From the expression in the doctor's eyes as he watched, I guessed he had seen this trick before; he seemed merely amused by it.

"All right, if everyone's set, let's go. Sorry we can't offer you a ride, Mrs Morrison."

I laughed at the half-teasing in his voice. "I think I probably _would_ be too heavy."

Jacob snorted and Nessie giggled, but the doctor merely turned ahead and began moving again through the woods.

I suppose I was more tired than I had realized. We had only been walking another five minutes when my foot caught in a hollow under a tree root.

Before I could fall, the doctor spun around and caught my arm, steadying me. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you; I'm fi — Oh!" I had taken another step forward and cried out at the sharp pain that stabbed through my ankle.

"What is it; your ankle?"

"Yes," I half whimpered, clinging to his arm now as I bit my lip against the throbbing pain.

Dr Cullen reached up and swung Gracie to the ground with one arm, then easily lifted me and carried me to sit on a fallen log. He knelt in front of me, propping my ankle on his leg as he carefully removed my shoe and sock. His hands were cool and felt good on the already swelling flesh, though I winced at their gentle probing.

"It doesn't look like you broke anything," he said finally, "but it's a pretty severe sprain; you're going to be off your feet for at least a week." He shrugged out of his backpack and unzipped it to reveal a black medical kit…I hadn't realized anyone even used those anymore.

He wrapped my ankle expertly with a length of elastic bandage, then pulled my sock back on over it. "I'll give you something for the pain," he offered, reaching for a small bottle.

"Just aspirin," I managed. "I have to drive home."

He stared at me incredulously. "You're not driving with that ankle," he said firmly, then added with a smile, "so you might as well take prescription strength. Here." He handed me two pills with a thermos cap of water, and my ankle hurt too much to argue further.

"Jake, you take Gracie," he said as he put my shoe in his backpack and pulled the straps over his shoulders. "Nessie, you're perfectly capable of walking."

"But I'm too heavy," I protested as he lifted me…in his arms, not to his shoulders.

"No, you're not," he contradicted flatly. "And I'm not going to even consider letting you try walking with that ankle, so don't bother arguing."

We moved a bit faster now, Nessie not seeming to have any trouble keeping up as she skipped at Jacob's side and chattered to Gracie as she rode on his shoulders.

I tried to hold my head up, aware of the intimate nature of my current position, but the painkillers were making my head swirl until I had to give in and let it rest against the doctor's shoulder.

 **oOo**

Nessie ran ahead when we reached the house, pulling the front door open.

"Carlisle, what happened to her?" Esme exclaimed, coming to meet us.

The doctor smiled and leaned to brush a kiss across her lips. "Well, hello to you, too, love."

"Carlisle!" she protested, laughter in her voice.

"She sprained her ankle," he explained, carrying me inside and laying me on the sofa.

I saw that Nessie had run to a teenage boy and girl who stood nearby; she resembled the boy so much that they had to be related.

He stepped forward, offering his hand as Dr Cullen propped my ankle up with cushions. "I'm Nessie's brother Edward, and this is her adopted sister, Bella. And you're Mrs Morrison?"

I nodded, smiling slightly.

"Are Alice and Bree around?" the doctor questioned.

Edward shrugged. "I haven't heard them come home yet."

"Gracie, come upstairs to my room!" Nessie exclaimed, grabbing her hand; Jacob apparently hadn't come inside.

"Don't wear her out, Nessie," Dr Cullen warned.

"I'll go keep an eye on them," Bella offered, disappearing up the stairs after the girls.

"Can I get you anything, Mrs Morrison?" Esme asked compassionately.

"No, thanks," I murmured.

"Wrap a bag of ice in a towel, love," Dr Cullen told her. "I want to see if I can get some of this swelling down."

"Doctor," I murmured, "if I can't drive…how are we going to get home?"

"You and Gracie are welcome to stay here tonight," Dr Cullen said quietly. "Gracie can sleep with Nessie, and you can go in the guest room. Thanks, love," he added as Esme handed him the ice pack.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose…"

"Nonsense; we'd love to have you."

I let the matter drop, my mind too muddled from the painkiller to argue further. I dimly saw Edward slide onto the bench of a grand piano; moments later I was drifting to sleep on soft strains of music.

 **oOo**

I woke to a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Mrs Morrison? I have some supper here for you."

I pushed myself up on my elbow, blinking sleep from my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Seven; the girls already had their supper." She set the food on a folding TV tray, and I slowly sat up. "Thank you."

The food was delicious, and I soon emptied the tray. As Esme disappeared with the empty dishes, Dr Cullen came into the room and pulled up a stool beside the sofa. "How's the ankle?" he asked, sitting down.

I cautiously wiggled my foot and winced. "It hurts," I admitted.

"Mm. That's a pretty bad sprain, Mrs Morrison; I'm afraid I'm going to have to prescribe at least a week of complete rest. And I assure you, you and Gracie are more than welcome to stay here until you're on your feet again."

I blinked at him. "But — all our clothes — Gracie's schoolbooks…"

He smiled. "After church tomorrow we can stop by your house; I'm sure Gracie will be able to show us what you need. Unless you have someone who can come stay with you, Mrs Morrison, I really don't see that you have much of a choice."

"No…I guess not," I murmured. "But I hate to be such an imposition…"

He chuckled softly. "My Esme loves nothing better than fussing over people; she's going to have you thoroughly spoiled by the end of the week." He turned toward the stairs, and I followed his gaze to see Nessie and Gracie coming down, ready for bed in nightgowns and bare feet.

Nessie climbed into Dr Cullen's lap as Gracie came and leaned against the side of the sofa. "Does it hurt a lot, Mama?" she whispered.

"No," I assured her, wrapping my arms around her. "Just a little bit." I thought the medicine must be wearing off, though; the ache was growing steadily worse.

Nessie ran to the kitchen to say good night to Esme, and then wrapped her arms around Edward's waist where he stood by the piano…had he been there the whole time?

"Renesmée," he said quietly, "don't you girls stay up late talking."

She grinned impishly, hanging her head back to look into his face. "How late _can_ we stay up?"

He chuckled. "One hour…and don't think I won't come up if I hear you talking after that."

She leaned her head against his side. "Would you play my lullaby for us?"

He smiled. "If you're good, Nessie, I'll come up in an hour and play for you…unless you're asleep by then."

Nessie giggled. "We won't be."

He shook his head. "Good night, Renesmée."

"Good night. Come on, Gracie!"

The two girls disappeared up the stairs, and I was left wondering why it was Edward and not the doctor who was warning Nessie about staying up late.

"Would you like a hot bath before bed, Mrs Morrison?" the doctor questioned.

I smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

He nodded. "I'll carry you into the bathroom, then; Esme can help you in there."

"Oh, I don't need —"

"You don't need to be putting any weight on that ankle," he said firmly, "and I won't have you falling and spraining the other one trying to hop around on one foot."

When I saw the spacious bathroom, I could understand his concern a little better. In our small bathroom at home, I could almost put my feet in the tub while sitting on the toilet; here there were a good three steps between.

And the tub itself was huge; almost big enough to swim in.

After at least half an hour of relaxing in the soothing bubbles, Esme helped me into the nightgown and robe they had laid out for me and then called Dr Cullen to carry me back to the sofa.

He gently felt my ankle before wrapping it up again and giving me two more pills for the pain. Then he carried me upstairs to the guest room. "The bathroom's right at the end of the hall," he told me, "but call me if you need to get up in the night; I don't want you even thinking of trying it on your own."

"Would you hear me?" I asked doubtfully.

He smiled. "I have excellent hearing," he assured me. "Good night, Mrs Morrison. Sleep well."

He turned off the overhead light as he left the room, leaving only the table lamp on the nightstand. I pulled the covers over myself before reaching to switch that off.

The pills were already starting to make me drowsy again; despite sleeping nearly all afternoon, in mere moments I drifted off.

 **oOo**

Esme came in the next morning to help me get dressed, and then called Dr Cullen to carry me downstairs.

He and Bella and Edward took the girls to church that morning, while Esme stayed home with me. Alice and Bree, the doctor and Esme's other adopted daughters, were around the house somewhere.

When Dr Cullen I't returned by one thirty I began to grow anxious, but Esme merely smiled when I expressed my concern. "He was going to take them out to lunch, and then they're stopping at your house to pick up some clothes and things. Don't worry; Carlisle would call if anything had happened."

I sighed and I to relax.

Sure enough, it was only half an hour later that they arrived back at the house. Bella, Edward, and Nessie were carrying the bags of things from the house, while Dr Cullen held a pair of crutches which he leaned against the sofa with a smile. "I want you sitting with your ankle propped up as much as possible," he told me, "and don't try the stairs unless someone's with you. But I thought you could use a way to get around while I'm at work." He winked at Esme and then helped me up and showed me how to use the crutches.

The next morning, Dr Cullen's kids and Gracie piled into the car to go to school. I had been a bit dubious when I'd learned that they didn't take the bus, but Edward had smiled indulgently. "What would you have done if she had gotten sick while you were driving up here, Mrs Morrison?"

"Pulled over and called an ambulance."

He flashed a silver phone from his pocket. "I can do that just as easily as you can."

"And Edward has his first aid certification," Dr Cullen added; "she's probably better off with him than the average bus driver."

I sighed and kissed Gracie goodbye. I knew I was paranoid, and yet I couldn't help being afraid every time I let her out of my sight.

On Wednesday evening, the girls were doing their homework in Nessie's room when Dr Cullen came in and sat on the stool beside the sofa.

"Mrs Morrison, I want to talk to you about Gracie."

"What about her?" I questioned. "She's not sick, is she?"

He hesitated. "She's not currently showing symptoms," he answered. "But I'm fairly certain she has a relatively rare condition; I have the name and number of a specialist for you here."

I took the paper automatically, staring at his face. All those tests without a diagnosis — and now he thought he had the answer after a couple days in the same house with her when she wasn't even sick?

Of course, being a doctor, I supposed he had access to her test results at the hospital — but those results hadn't helped the other doctors any.

"But — she's better now."

"You don't really believe that," he said quietly. "Of course, it's your choice whether or not you call him."

I folded the paper and tucked it in my pocket, knowing that of course I would call and schedule an appointment. But I didn't have any faith that this doctor would be able to help any more than the others had. Gracie had been referred to specialists before.

 _Go to Epilogue_

 **S** **econd ending coming next week!**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	2. Ending 2a

I bit my lip as we followed Dr Cullen through the woods. Half an hour since we had stopped for lunch, Gracie was starting to lag. The doctor had seemed so attentive to her needs; surely he didn't imagine she could walk all day.

I hurried ahead a few steps to catch up with him. "Dr Cullen," I said in a low voice, "shouldn't we be heading back soon?"

He smiled. "We've actually been heading back since lunch; we're not going quite the same way we came." He stepped on a bramble to get it out of the way, and lifted a low-hanging branch as I ducked through.

"I must admit, I'm completely lost!" I said with a laugh.

"Finding your way in the woods takes practice," he admitted.

"Gracie?" Nessie said behind us. Then came Jacob's voice, "Hey, Doc!"

His tone made me whirl around, but somehow the doctor was already there, his hands on Gracie's arms as he knelt in front of her. "What's wrong?" he asked, his tone decidedly that of a doctor.

"My…head…" Gracie whispered. "Can't… breathe…"

Oh, no. Oh, no; oh, no; oh, no.

Nessie slipped her hand into mine and I squeezed hard, needing the small comfort she offered too much to worry about whether my grip was hurting her fingers.

Why had I ever allowed this? Doctor or no doctor, we were miles in the woods, miles from any hospital equipment…

My legs wouldn't hold me and I sank to my knees, wrapping my arm around Nessie and pulling her close, taking comfort from the feel of her warm body against mine.

I felt a large hand on my shoulder as Jacob knelt beside me. "Hey, it's all right, Mrs Morrison; Doc's got everything under control."

Dr Cullen had taken off his backpack and spread his jacket on the ground for Gracie to lie on. Now he unzipped the backpack and took out first a black medical bag and then…a portable oxygen tank?

I blinked; I had guessed he had medical supplies in the backpack — what else would he bother carrying through the woods? But he had actually been toting oxygen around on the off chance my daughter would need it?

He gently placed the mask over Gracie's face. "Breathe, honey…nice and easy…that's it." His voice was gentle and soothing; he sounded completely sure of himself.

Jacob's hand remained on my shoulder as I watched the doctor fill a syringe from a bottle and inject the medication into Gracie's arm.

Then he slipped the backpack back onto his shoulders and hooked the oxygen tank on his belt. He wrapped his jacket around Gracie as he stood up, gently cradling her in his arms. "Let's go," he said quietly.

Jacob stood and offered me a hand to get to my feet. They would hold me now, I discovered, but I still clung to Nessie's hand as I followed the doctor.

He glanced often at Gracie's face; after several minutes he stopped and turned to Jacob. "Jake, I need to get her back to the office. Can you —?"

"Sure thing, Doc."

And with that, the doctor took off at a smooth run through the woods, leaving me standing frozen.

"Hey, it's all right," Jacob said with surprising gentleness. "Doc just wants to get her back to the house."

"He's running — all that way?"

"Sure; he's in real good shape." He bent slightly to look straight into my eyes. "Can you walk, Mrs Morrison, or do you need me to carry you?"

I smiled shakily. "N-no; I-I can walk."

"Carry _me_ , Jake!" Nessie demanded.

Half absently, Jacob held out his hands; with a running start Nessie placed her palms in his and vaulted to his shoulders.

"Look, Mrs Morrison, Doc's the best around," Jacob tried to reassure me. "If he can't cure something, it's pretty near incurable. Right, Ness?"

Nessie nodded decidedly. "Of course!"

I appreciated their efforts, but I wasn't going to feel comfortable until I saw my daughter.

 **oO** _Continue reading for Ending 2a, or go to Ending 2b_ **Oo**

Jacob kept slightly in front of me to guide the way, but I could tell he was letting me set the pace.

When we finally emerged from the woods, I broke into a run across the green lawn.

Esme met me at the door, and I clutched desperately at her arm. "Where's Gracie? Is she —?"

Esme gave me a gentle smile. "Carlisle took her up to his office; he said for me to bring you when you got here. Come on."

I followed her up the stairs and down a hall. She paused to knock on a door before pushing it open. "Carlisle, here's Mrs Morrison."

"Ah, Mrs Morrison; come in."

Gracie lay in a leather recliner, still breathing from the oxygen tank and with an IV line running to her arm. A crocheted afghan was pulled up over her.

Dr Cullen had been standing beside the bookshelves reading something from a thick volume, but he set it aside as I entered. "Thank you, love," he dismissed his wife.

"How is she?" I whispered.

Dr Cullen stepped to the recliner and brushed a hand over Gracie's forehead. "Resting now; her vital signs are a lot better than they were."

I sighed with some relief. "We should get her to the hospital," I mused worriedly.

"I can take her if you want me to," he offered instantly. "But to be honest, I doubt they'd do anything more than I'm doing here."

I bit my lip, considering; Gracie did hate hospitals so… "You really think she's improved?"

"There's no question. Look; I'm sure even you can see that her color's better."

I nodded slowly; the faint flush of Gracie's cheeks was far better than that awful whiteness. "All right… she can stay here."

He nodded, accepting my decision, and then turned and wrote something on a pad on his desk. He tore the sheet off and handed it to me. "This is the name and number of a specialist I think she should see," he said quietly.

I found myself laughing hysterically. "Do you realize how many specialists she's been referred to?"

"Seven." He smiled slightly. "Don't look so surprised; as a doctor I do have access to her medical records. From her test results and what I've seen today, I'm pretty sure she has a rare condition; this doctor specializes in treating children with similar disorders.

"Now, I'd like to keep her here at least overnight; depending on how she feels in the morning, we can talk about letting her go to school Monday."

I felt a brief surge of hope. If his treatment might have her well enough for school on Monday, when normally she was in the hospital three or four days, then maybe his diagnosis was correct. Just maybe this referral would be the answer.

 _Go to Epilogue_

 **Third ending coming next week!**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	3. Ending 2b

Jacob kept slightly in front of me to guide the way, but I could tell he was letting me set the pace. I hurried through the woods, stumbling over fallen branches.

"There's really no hurry," Jacob told me. "Doc's taking care of her — what more do you think you could do?"

I only shook my head and plunged on, then fell to my hands and knees as I tripped over a raised tree root. I stayed where I was for a moment, letting my head hang down and silently sobbing.

Jacob bent and took hold of my upper arm to pull me up. "Hurrying like this isn't helping anyone," he scolded. "Are you all right?"

I nodded. "Yes, let's go — oh!" My ankle buckled as I tried to stand on it; I would have fallen if Jacob hadn't grabbed me.

"You're hurt. How bad is it?"

I bit my lip. "My ankle — I don't think I can walk. I hate these woods!"

Nessie jumped off Jacob's shoulders, and he lifted me easily and carried me to a nearby fallen log. "Guess I better take a look."

He pulled off my shoe and sock; his hands on my bare skin were blazing, feverishly hot. But he looked healthy enough…

"Is it broken?" Nessie asked anxiously.

Jacob shook his head. "I can't tell, Ness," he said, a note of worry in his voice. "Guess the best thing to do is wrap it up and get her back to the doc. Stay with her a minute."

He disappeared into the woods; when he returned he was holding his sleeveless white undershirt. He quickly tore it into strips and wrapped them tightly around my ankle. "Best I can do, Mrs Morrison. Let's get you back to Dr F — Cullen." He grinned at Nessie as he lifted me in his arms. "You can walk, Ness; I'm not carrying both of you."

"You could," Nessie pouted.

"Didn't say I couldn't; said I wasn't going to."

She growled and leapt at him; he held out one arm to fend her off. But she grabbed hold of it and scrambled back to her place on his shoulders.

"I'm telling your father on you," he protested, laughing.

Nessie only giggled, leaning forward to clasp her hands under his chin.

Jacob chuckled. "All right, imp; have it your way. Just don't kick Mrs Morrison."

"Oh, just please hurry!" I half groaned.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Nessie questioned, instantly sympathetic.

"Yes…but I'm thinking of Gracie…"

Nessie frowned. "Papa's with her; she's fine."

I wondered if it was possible the high view she and Jacob had of Dr Cullen's skills was based on anything more than prejudice.

Jacob moved faster now, not having to shorten his stride for me or Nessie. Sooner than I expected, we emerged from the woods and crossed the wide lawn. Nessie jumped down at the porch and skipped up the steps to open the door. "Mama?"

"Hello, Nessie. Did — Jake! What happened to her?"

"Fell and hurt her ankle," Jacob explained briefly. "Doc up in the office?"

"Yes; bring her right up." Esme led Jacob up the stairs and down the hall to a closed door. "Carlisle?" she called, knocking once then pushing it open. "Jacob brought Mrs Morrison back; she hurt her ankle."

"I wrapped it up, but I don't know if it's broken or just sprained," Jacob explained as the doctor hurried forward.

"Lay her here on the couch," he said quietly.

My anxious eyes looked past him to where Gracie lay in a recliner. I clutched at his hand as he bent over me. "Dr Cullen — how is she?"

He darted a quick glance over his shoulder. "Stable," he replied. He smiled gently. "She'll be fine, Mrs Morrison, so let's have a look at this ankle, shall we? Esme, love, how about bringing up an ice pack?"

Dr Cullen quickly determined that my injury was only a sprain, and soon had it iced and bandaged to his satisfaction. He was just giving me some pills for the pain when a voice spoke from the doorway. "It looks like a hospital ward in here, Carlisle; need any help?"

Dr Cullen chuckled. "No, thanks, Edward; I'm good." He turned to me with a smile. "Mrs Morrison, my son, Edward. Edward, Mrs Morrison."

He nodded acknowledgement and crossed to sit on his father's desk. He _had_ to be adopted…and a blood relative of Nessie's, going by looks.

He gave an inexplicable snort of laughter. "Well, I'll be around if you do need me."

"Thank you." He took a seat beside me as Edward pulled the door shut behind him. "I'm going to have to prescribe at least a week of complete rest for that ankle, Mrs Morrison, and I'm sure Esme would love to have you and Gracie as guests here until it heals."

I couldn't have cared less about my ankle. "What about Gracie?"

He gave me a comforting smile. "I could be wrong, but I believe she has a rare condition; a colleague of mine showed me a case of it a couple years ago. He's a specialist in the field, and I'd like to give you a referral for Gracie to go see him."

I shook my head wearily, feeling myself start to drift off from the painkillers. "She's seen half a dozen specialists, Doctor; none of them have helped."

He gently squeezed my shoulder. "I think I can promise you that this one will," he said quietly. "You rest now, and don't worry about Gracie; she'll be fine."

 _Go to Epilogue_

 **Epilogue coming next week!**

 **A/N: I know, I should have just gone with this ending, since it really combines both the other two…but I feel like it has too much going on, and I actually like it the least. I wouldn't have kept it at all, but I like where Nessie climbs Jacob…and Edward's comment about a hospital ward…and his private amusement at Mrs Morrison's mental comment. Barbie**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

I took Gracie to the specialist Dr Cullen recommended, and he started her on treatment. Within weeks, even I could tell she was getting stronger. Dr Cullen had some how managed to do what none of the other doctors had…and the strange part was that I learned afterward that he wasn't even in a specialty that should have en abled him to diagnose it.

"It's uncanny," Gracie's pediatrician agreed when I brought her in for her checkup several months later. "He's a cardiologist, but it's like he has some sort of sixth sense for diagnostics. We've taken to calling him in for unofficial consultations on all our hard cases."

"So why didn't you call him in for Gracie?" I asked half angrily.

"He only started at the hospital here over the sum mer," the doctor explained. He shook his head. "Word is he's been offered a better position at some bigger hos pital somewhere…it'll sure be a loss to us if he leaves."

 _The End_

 **A/N: I pretty much made up Gracie's symptoms… I used to do that all the time, but I managed to break myself of the habit as I got older. Now I like writing Deep Space Nine fanfiction because with all the alien species, I can let myself go again! And with this story I figured it was all right, because if I picked symptoms that matched a particular illness, why would it be so hard to diagnose? I think Carlisle probably did it by smell… His colleague shoed him over his clinic once, and he noticed the particular odor. Barbie**

 _I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!_

 _Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie_


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